Laser apparatus for simultaneously generating mutually perpendicular planes

Abstract

A laser alignment apparatus is provided for generating a plurality of mutually perpendicular laser beams. The apparatus further includes rotatable beam diverters selectively hingedly moveable into or out of positions for diverting one of the laser beams. The beam diverters may be rotated about an axis coincident with the associated laser beam for sweeping laser planes. The laser planes swept by the respected beam diverters are mutually perpendicular to one another, and each laser plane is parallel to the other beams generated by the apparatus.

I claim: 
     
       1. A laser apparatus comprising: a housing;   laser generating means mounted in the housing for generating a plurality of laser beams generally perpendicular to one another; and   beam adjustment means disposed in alignment with at least one of said laser beams for adjusting alignment of the at least one said laser beam to achieve accurate perpendicularity between said laser beams.   
     
     
       2. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the plurality of laser beams comprise three mutually perpendicular laser beams, and wherein the beam adjustment means comprises at least two beam adjustment means disposed respectively in paths of at least two of said three laser beams. 
     
     
       3. An apparatus as in claim 2 comprising three of said beam adjustment means disposed respectively in the paths of each of said laser beams. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the beam adjustment means comprises a planar transparency adjustably mounted in the housing for selected non-perpendicular alignment to the laser beam. 
     
     
       5. An apparatus as in claim 4, wherein the transparency is approximately 0.20 mm thick. 
     
     
       6. An apparatus as in claim 1, comprising a beam diverter for diverting a laser beam 90°, said beam diverter being rotatably mounted to the housing for rotation about an axis substantially coincident with at least one of said laser beams, whereby rotation of the beam diverter about its axis of rotation causes the diverted laser beam to sweep a plane substantially perpendicular to the laser beam impinging upon the beam diverter. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus as in claim 6, comprising a plurality of beam diverters rotatably mounted to the housing for rotation about respective axes coincident respectively with each of said laser beams, whereby rotation of the respective beam diverters about their respective axes of rotation cause the diverted laser beams to sweep a plurality of mutually perpendicular planes. 
     
     
       8. An apparatus as in claim 7, wherein at least one said beam diverter is mounted to a spindle, said spindle and said beam diverter being rotatable in unison about the axis of rotation of the beam diverter, the beam diverter being pivotably mounted to the spindle for rotation into a position spaced from the associated laser beam. 
     
     
       9. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein each said laser beam defines a cross-sectional area, said apparatus further comprising a spindle for each said laser beam, each said spindle having an aperture aligned with the associated laser beam and defining a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of the laser beam impinging upon the spindle. 
     
     
       10. An apparatus as in claim 9, wherein the spindle is hollow and comprises a threaded interior surface between the laser generating means and the aperture for reducing reflection of the laser beam toward the aperture of the spindle. 
     
     
       11. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the laser generating means comprising a separate laser diode for generating each of said laser beams. 
     
     
       12. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the laser generating means consists of a single laser diode for producing an input laser beam, and wherein said apparatus further comprises optical means for producing the plurality of generally perpendicular laser beams from the input beam. 
     
     
       13. An apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the optical means comprises a beam splitter for producing at least first and second generally perpendicular laser beams. 
     
     
       14. An apparatus as in claim 12, wherein said optical means is a beam splitter for splitting the laser beam into three generally perpendicular laser beams. 
     
     
       15. An apparatus as in claim 14, further comprising single mode optical fibers extending from the beam splitter for transmitting the plurality of laser beams generally perpendicular to one another from the beam splitter to locations spaced therefrom. 
     
     
       16. An apparatus as in claim 12, wherein said optical means comprises a plurality of single mode optical fibers having ends aligned to receive the input beam from the single laser diode, said optical fibers extending to locations for generating the plurality of laser beams generally perpendicular to one another. 
     
     
       17. A laser apparatus comprising: a housing;   first and second laser diodes for projecting first and second laser beams from the housing, each said laser beam having a central axis, the laser diodes being disposed such that the axes of said laser beams are perpendicular;   first and second focusing lenses mounted in the housing for focusing the respective first and second laser beams;   first and second beam shifting means mounted to the housing intermediate the first and second laser diodes and the respective first and second focusing lenses for selectively shifting the laser beams approaching the respective first and second lenses and thereby selectively altering alignment of the laser beams passing from the respective first and second focusing lenses for enabling accurate perpendicularity of the beams;   first and second beam diverters mounted to the housing for rotation about an axis coincident with the axes of the respective first and second laser beams, said first and second beam diverters diverting the respective first and second laser beams 90°; and   motor means mounted to the housing for selectively rotating the first and second beam diverters about said axes, such that the diverted first and second laser beam sweep first and second laser planes that are substantially perpendicular with one another.   
     
     
       18. A laser apparatus as in claim 17 further comprising first and second spindles rotatably mounted to the housing, each said spindle being adjustable in the housing for achieving rotation about an axis of rotation substantially coincident with the axes of the respective first and second laser beams, the first and second beam diverters being mounted to the first and second spindles for rotation therewith. 
     
     
       19. A laser apparatus as in claim 18, wherein the first and second each said beam diverters are hingedly mounted to the respective first and second spindles for hinged rotation into positions spaced from the respective first and second laser beams. 
     
     
       20. A laser apparatus as in claim 18, wherein each said spindle includes a laser aperture substantially centered on the axis of rotation of the associated spindle and defining a cross-section smaller than the associated laser beam for permitting only a central portion of the associated laser beam to pass therethrough. 
     
     
       21. A laser apparatus as in claim 18 further comprising a photosensitive target assembly comprising first and second photosensitive target means for sensing the location of a laser beam impinging thereon, the first and second target means being rigidly spaced from one another by a distance substantially equal to a distance defined between the first laser plane and the second laser beam. 
     
     
       22. A laser apparatus comprising: a housing;   first, second and third laser diodes for projecting first, second and third laser beams from the housing, each said laser beam having a central axis, and the axes of said laser beams being perpendicular;   first, second and third focusing lenses mounted in the housing for focusing the respective first, second and third laser beams;   first, second and third beam shifting means mounted to the housing intermediate the first, second and third laser diodes and the respective first, second and third focusing lenses for shifting the laser beams approaching the respective first, second and third lenses and thereby selectively altering alignment of the laser beams passing from the respective first, second and third focusing lenses for enabling accurate perpendicularity of the beams;   first, second and third beam diverters mounted to the housing for rotation about axes coincident with the axes of the respective first, second and third laser beams, said first, second and third beam diverters diverting the respective first, second and third laser beams 90°; and   motor means mounted to the housing for selectively rotating the first, second and third beam diverters about said axes such that the diverted first second and third laser beams sweep first, second and third laser planes that are substantially perpendicular with one another.   
     
     
       23. A laser apparatus as in claim 22 further comprising a target assembly having a frame and first, second and third photosensitive target means mounted to the frame for sensing the location of laser beams impinging thereon, the first and second target means being spaced from the third target means by distances substantially equal to the distance between the third laser beam and the first and second laser planes and being disposed with respect to one another such that a line connecting the first and third target means is orthogonal to a line connecting the second and third target means, said target assembly enabling adjustment of the laser apparatus to achieve mutual perpendicularity between the first, second and third laser beams. 
     
     
       24. A laser apparatus comprising: a housing;   at least one laser generating means mounted in the housing for generating a laser beam;   at least one lens mounted in the housing for focusing the laser beam;   at least one spindle rotatably mounted in the housing for rotation about an axis of rotation substantially coincident with the focused laser beam, said spindle having an aperture therein substantially coincident with the axis of rotation and defining a cross-section smaller than the laser beam passing through the lens; and   at least one beam diverter mounted to the spindle for rotation therewith, said beam diverter being operative to divert the laser beam 90°.   
     
     
       25. A method for achieving mutual perpendicularity between a plurality of laser beams and mutual perpendicularity between a plurality of laser planes, said method comprising the steps of: providing a laser apparatus having at least first and second laser generating means for generating first and second laser beams approximately perpendicular to one another, first and second focusing lenses for focusing the respective first and second laser beams, first and second beam shifters for shifting the laser beams approaching the respective first and second focusing lenses and first and second beam diverters selectively positionable for diverting the respective first and second laser beams 90°, and motor means for rotating the beam diverters about axes coincident with the focused laser beams passing from the respective first and second focusing lenses and for sweeping first and second mutually perpendicular laser planes with the diverted laser beams;   adjusting the first beam diverter to achieve collinearity of the axis of rotation of the beam diverter to the first laser beam passing from the first focusing lens;   sweeping the first laser plane with the first beam diverter and the first laser beam;   adjusting the second laser beam to be parallel to the first laser plane;   adjusting the second beam diverter such that the axis of rotation thereof is collinear with the second laser beam.   
     
     
       26. A method as in claim 25, wherein the laser apparatus has a third laser generating means for generating a third laser beam approximately perpendicular to the first and second laser beams, a third focusing lens for focusing the third laser beam, a third beam shifter for shifting the third laser beam approaching the third focusing lens and a third rotatable beam diverter selectively positionable for diverting the third laser beam 90° and for rotation about an axis coincident with the focused third laser beam passing from the third focusing lens for sweeping a third laser plane with the diverted third laser beam, said method further comprising the steps of sweeping the first and second laser planes with the first and second beam diverters and the first and second laser beams; adjusting the third laser beam to be parallel to the first and second laser planes; and adjusting the third beam diverter such that the axis of rotation thereof is collinear with the third laser beam.